How much and what do you store in 5 gallon buckets

[Guest]

So far I have accumulated 20 buckets of food supplies that will have to feed 4 people.
I have 150 lbs sugar, 300 lbs rice, 40 lbs salt, 45 lbs potato flakes, 100 lbs of pintos, and 35 lbs or so of noodles. I'm not trying to break your "OPSEC", just trying to see where I stand with you guys that have been doing this for years or even days. I've read the recommended amounts to store for one person per year and I know I am nowhere close to those recommended numbers.

What about your can supplies? I am currently running about 160 cans so far. By cans I mean supermarket cans. Like I said, not asking for you to give away state secrets so please do not reply if you don't feel comfortable.

Thanks

[miked2345]

Wow.. sounds like a lot of stuff !!!

Now what's the address where you're storing it??? :)

But your list does bring up a good question - What ratio does everyone use to determine how much of each item to store?? For example, I have pretty much the same items you have, just in different quantities. I have about 200 lbs of rice, but only 40 lbs of sugar and 15 lbs of salt. I also have oats, wheat, powdered dry milk, beans, etc... My family size is 3, so my needs are probably different from a guy with 4 or 5 kids. Also, I'm guessing alot of us are limited by storage space and budget.

[crossbow]

for 4 people, I'd want a half ton of different dry beans, white rice,wheat,groats, split peas,lentils, 300 pounds of salt,500 pounds of sugar,powdered eggs, 2 pounds of every herb and seasoning on the market,200 pounds of powdered milk and instant potatoes.ten pails of different pastas, 40 #10 cans of tomatoe sauce. 15 cases of every vegetable that Aldies or Sav-a-lot sells, the same with their fruit.

plastic pails with mylar bags will hold 33 to 37 pounds of most things so that gives you some idea on how many pails you need. you'll have over 500 in just pails and i use the orange ones from HD.

[protus]

i keep it simple on my end so i dont have to do much math,

1 lb of X equals 1 day of food for 1.

what this means is i have "more" than what i need.

I plan for 3, so in some areas this buffer helps make up for any short comings imho.

as to can goods.
we selfcan and also pick up stuff on sale etc.
i have 2 rubber maid totes of can goods for fast eats ( hurricanes,power outages, in car bug out,hand out foods). I then have a whole closest dedicated to self canned foods and store boughts.,
Most of the store boughts are items we dont can ( tomatoes, meats and certain fruits)

[crossbow]

i keep it simple on my end so i dont have to do much math,

1 lb of X equals 1 day of food for 1.

what this means is i have "more" than what i need.

I plan for 3, so in some areas this buffer helps make up for any short comings imho.

as to can goods.
we selfcan and also pick up stuff on sale etc.
i have 2 rubber maid totes of can goods for fast eats ( hurricanes,power outages, in car bug out,hand out foods). I then have a whole closest dedicated to self canned foods and store boughts.,
Most of the store boughts are items we dont can ( tomatoes, meats and certain fruits)

we home can chicken, turkeys, venison,beef,some fish, pumpkins and squash,apples and apple sauce, If the stores got short, we'd go back to canning veges.

[boltgun308]

I bought a home storage cook book that had recommended amounts for 1 person for 1 year. It also broke it up for men versus women and even ages for children.

I need to look into canning meats. I have canned vegetables for several years now and meats would be a natural progression.

Crossbow, how do you stock so many 5 gallon buckets? I bought shelving that will hold 48 buckets and my goal was to fill that and stop with 5 gallon buckets. Do you stock buckets on top of each other and how high do you go?

[1Admin]

An easy formula for "the basics" that has worked out well for us- if anything on the high side

Minimums per person per year-

300 lbs. rice
100 lbs. beans- your choice, Lentils are our main choice- no soaking required, cook quickly and don't get rock hard in storage like Pintos do. Unfortunately they are harder to find in 50 and 100 lb. bags.
200 lbs. hard red wheat
50 lbs. salt
50 lbs. sugar
1 case #10 dehydrated milk
2 gallons cooking oil

Again, I'm talking about BASICS, yes you'll need more than this and more diversity. Their is an old thread here somewhere on putting up a year supply of food for less than a dollar a day by Lowdown3, I think it's "getting started with food storage."

Only thing I would change based on my experience is the wet packed grocery store cans. Once your stockpile grows, you'll find it's not that easy to rotate a large amount of cans packed in this method. Other drawbacks are weight, cost per ounce versus dehydrated, longevity, etc. Convenience in finding is the only major plus that I can see in wet packed.

[crossbow]

I bought a home storage cook book that had recommended amounts for 1 person for 1 year. It also broke it up for men versus women and even ages for children.

I need to look into canning meats. I have canned vegetables for several years now and meats would be a natural progression.

Crossbow, how do you stock so many 5 gallon buckets? I bought shelving that will hold 48 buckets and my goal was to fill that and stop with 5 gallon buckets. Do you stock buckets on top of each other and how high do you go?

all stored in the basement, some in places that can't be seen and wals have to be removed to get at them and some just covered with a cheap tarp, people who are allowed in the basement can see the tarp and I guess the figure that we have furniture stored, at least they don't say anything.

[claymore]

Nice setup, something for us (me) to aim for CB!

[utsteve]

Wow! Never thought to have that many 5 gallon buckets!

[mamarosa]

I am just getting started, love the buckets.....looking for these milar, saw spelled mylar bags. Went to emergency essentials saw metalized liner for buckets 20.5 x 30 are these the same??? I have saved $1000.00 and need to get started. Any suggestions for me?????? thanks mamarosa I have 10 adults and 5 children...my immediate family...thanks again!!!!

[kappydell]

i love the buckets, use them with mylar and oxy absorbers. i have 200 lb wheat, 200 lb rice, 100 lb field corn, 200 lb flour, 100 lb asst. pasta (spaghetti gets more in the pail - less air) and for canned goods, I go to a local canning company that sells dented cans by the case for $6.50 a case. I go there several times a year, get an assortment, then sit and mark them with magic marker in the kitchen as to contents (the boxes are labeled, not the cans...) then mix them up. That way I need take only 1 case out at a time to use. since cans are good for about 3 years un-oiled in my root cellar (good longer if I take the time to oil them with a light coat of mineral oil to keep moisture at bay) I keep quite a rotation going. I have about 50 cases of assorted vegetables. I am working on legumes now - when the store has a sale on beans I buy 25 lb or so to put in pails with mylar, and slowly have built it up to where I am starting to feel comfortable with 50 lb ea of pinto, lima, lentils, and great northern beans, which I purchase in 1-lb bags so I can mix kinds in the mylar-pail. That way I need only open 1 pail at a time, just like the vegetable cases. i bought #10 cans of non-instant dry milk for each person to have 4 cups a day; and of course, I have 100 lb of sugar (excess will be good barter) as well as 25 lb of both table, and pickling salt in mylar pails, too for future needs (I like to can and dehydrate). for meat I dry-can dehydrated cooked burger crumbles, and wet-can the usual chicken, beef and pork chunks, as well as the occasional batch of venison or fish.

In terms of what to buy, I used the guide in 'nuclear war survival skills' and built from there. I was blessed to rent an old farmhouse with a large root cellar, and later purchase a suburban home with a storage area twice that size that doubles as tornado shelter. Im grateful the other house dweller (a long time and old friend) is also a prepper and former military. with her input and preferences our store-bought stores have expanded.

[kappydell]

yes the metalicized bags are mylars. try to get the kind that are heat sealed, not zip-locked, as the zip lock can let in air, and you will want to vacuum pack them with oxy absorbers.
mylar + oxy + pails rule for food storage long term. Add a cool storage location and you can go to town!

[mamarosa]

Thank you Kappydell, you were most helpful....have a blessed day

[boatchick18]

Has anyone worked out a system to keep track of what you have? I have a decent sized pantry area but as I get more and more stuff, I sometimes will forget what I have. I have labels but when the buckets/boxes get stacked up - sometimes I lose track of things. Which is the equivalent of not having it all-right? I have tried the spreadsheet - heck there is an app for your smartphone too - but I can't seem to maintain any sort of order with it. Anyone got a better idea?

Along with storing the basics, I have been trying to learn to make everything from scratch. well, I can make most everything - it's whether or not the hubby/dog will eat it is the problem.